UPDATE: PART 2 OF THIS INVESTIGATION SERIES:
https://cbs12.com/news/cbs12-news-i-team/cbs12-investigates-bomb-trains-and-terrorism-concerns
Investigative Story by Mike Magnoli,
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — It is a key ingredient to U.S. energy independence – Liquified Natural Gas.
Railroad Crossing in Hobe Sound, residential area
LNG, as it’s known, is plentiful in America and can be transported in specially-built rail cars.
The question the CBS12 News I Team is exploring is whether that could have dangerous consequences right here in South Florida.
An accident involving LNG is challenging for firefighters because they can’t dump water on it, and safety advocates are concerned an LNG explosion could literally level several blocks- even a whole town.
In a federal lawsuit, the group Earthjustice claims, 22 loaded LNG tanker cars have the same energy potential as the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Right now, 15 states are fighting to keep LNG trains out. Florida and Alaska are running the only two pilot programs in the country where LNG is moving on trains.
Susan Mehiel is chairwoman for the Alliance for Safe Trains- a citizens watchdog group on the treasure coast – trying to stop bomb trains.
“The rule-making changes say, it’s open season on every track in the country and right on FEC’s website it says they want make this route right here a virtual LNG pipeline, they say it, so that’s their intention, that’s their plan and it’s been that way for a long time,” Mehiel said.
Mehiel is especially concerned about Brightline, a higher-speed passenger rail and trains carrying LNG, running on the same tracks. Brightline says it will begin running again before the end of 2021.
Read/View the story online: https://cbs12.com/news/cbs12-news-i-team/bomb-trains-in-florida